Frameless gate.



J. S. ADAMS.

PRAMELESS GATE. I I APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1911.

' 1,046,929, Paterited Dec. 10,1912.

WWW I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

JOHN S. ADAMS, 0F GARDEN COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

FRAMELESS GATE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the county of Garden and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frameless Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to latches used on what is known as frameless gates used in parts of the country where wire fences are employed and where timber is scarce and expensive.

Heretofore the means commonly employed in securing the gates has been a loop of rope or wire thrown over the top of the latch post and engaging the top of the gate post, but such temporary fastening means have proved unsatisfactory because liable to be mislaid or broken, and furthermore the expansion of the wires in hot weather has caused the gate to sag so that cattle could jump over the gate, or could loosen the loop from the gate post and permit it to fall down.

My invention has for its object the provision of a latching means that is automatically adjustable to take up the slack of the wires caused by expansion aforesaid and prevent sagging of the gate or accidental re moval.

My invention also has for its object the pro-vision of a latching means that may be vertically adjusted to adapt it to the height.

of the gate post relative to the latch post and is also revolubly mounted so that the latching member may be swung to one side out of the way when the gate is temporarily opened to permit passage of a man .on foot or horseback.

The preferred embodiment of my improved gate latch will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which-- Figure 1 is a View of a fragment of a wire fence showing a frameless gate as commonly constructed and my improved latch in place and shown in a latching position, Fig. 2, a view of the upper fragment of the latch post showing my improved latch on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 3, detached views of the several parts constituting my improved latch.

In the drawings similar reference characters will indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

In Fig. 1 is shown the style of fence to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1911,

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 620,701.

which my improved latch is adapted and in which A indicates the latch post of the gate, 13 the post at the opposite side of the gate opening, C the line wires of the fence and gate, and D the gate post having the ends of the wires C used to close the gate opening secured thereto. Secured to the lower portion of the latch post A is a loop E of any suitable material, preferably a strip of metal to receive the lower end of the gate post D.

My improved latch is designed to engage the upper end of the gate post and consists of a vertical rod 1 circular in cross section having its upper end bifurcated as shown at 2, and perforated, to receive one end of a lever 8 that is pivo-tally secured through the perforations aforesaid,

4 indicates a loop formed by shaping a bar of rigid material with its ends formed substantially parallel for a portion of their length as shown at 1 and pivotally secured to lever 3 adjacent to its pivoted end, but sufficiently distant therefrom so that when the bar is thrown over toward the loop in the first movement in the act of securing the gate the loop may be easily secured to the top of the gate post D.

Rod 1 is secured to the gate by means of an eye-bolt 5 engaging said rod, intermediate of its ends, and a hook shaped bolt 6 that engages a circumferential groove 7 adjacent to the lower end of the rod 1.

By this construction it will be apparent that the rod 1 is rotatable on its axis so that the latch loop 4 may be swung to one side out of the way when desired, and that the rod may be adjusted as described on the latch post A by removing the hookshaped bolt 6 from the post and groove 7 and securing it in another position to rearrange the latch when desired for its most efficient operation, the relative positions of the eye-bolt 5 and hook-shaped bolt 6 as shown in the drawings being unessential to the eflicient operation. and subject to alteration as stated. a

It will be apparent from'the drawings that the bodyof the rod 1, between the bifurcated ends 2, engages the lever 3 when it is swung backwardly into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in latching the gate, and the wires of the gate thereby held in their strained position. It will likewise be apparent that in latching the gate the lever 3 may be used to strain the wires forming the gate into a taut condition and the Weight bifurcated upper end, said rod being mountof the lever 3 and loop l is sufficient to hold ed on said eyebolt and the circumferential the Wires stretched and to counteract the groove engaging the hook ended bolt a lever effects of changes of temperature on the pivotally secured to the bifurcated end of .1 5 Wire. the rod, and a loop pivotally secured to the Having thus described my invention What lever, said loop being adapted to engage the I claim is end post of the frameless gate.

In a frameless gate, the combination with JOHN S. ADAMS. a fence post, of an eyebolt and a hook ended 10 bolt secured thereto a rod having a circumferential groove near its lower end and a Witnesses WV. Q. Manor, W. SUTTON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

